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From the Omaha W H.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - It's the peak of mating season and drivers are being urged to watch for deer while state and county employees are busy cleaning the dead ones from the road.
Removal of the roadkill isn't a glamorous job.
"If they're splattered all over the place, we'll scoop them up," said Dean Schreiber, a local equipment operator for the Iowa Transportation Department. "Sometimes, all that's left is a hide."
It can be expensive, too.
In 2001, 526 deer were taken to the Iowa City landfill. The state agency is charged $3 for any animal under 140 pounds and 50 cents for every 20 pounds above that.
As of the first week of December, 400 deer had been brought in, said Travis Nitcher, a highway maintenance supervisor for the Transportation Department's Oakdale Garage in Coralville. He estimated that up to 15 to 20 deer are collected daily.
The deer population has gone up 260 percent in Iowa over the last 20 years, while deer-related accidents have risen 160 percent, officials said.
In 1999, an estimated 11,366 deer-vehicle crashes occurred in Iowa.
"Drivers need to be real aware," Nitcher said.
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IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - It's the peak of mating season and drivers are being urged to watch for deer while state and county employees are busy cleaning the dead ones from the road.
Removal of the roadkill isn't a glamorous job.
"If they're splattered all over the place, we'll scoop them up," said Dean Schreiber, a local equipment operator for the Iowa Transportation Department. "Sometimes, all that's left is a hide."
It can be expensive, too.
In 2001, 526 deer were taken to the Iowa City landfill. The state agency is charged $3 for any animal under 140 pounds and 50 cents for every 20 pounds above that.
As of the first week of December, 400 deer had been brought in, said Travis Nitcher, a highway maintenance supervisor for the Transportation Department's Oakdale Garage in Coralville. He estimated that up to 15 to 20 deer are collected daily.
The deer population has gone up 260 percent in Iowa over the last 20 years, while deer-related accidents have risen 160 percent, officials said.
In 1999, an estimated 11,366 deer-vehicle crashes occurred in Iowa.
"Drivers need to be real aware," Nitcher said.
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